Watchband with Visible Pins

ABSTRACT

A watchband is made up of a number of links. Each link is formed of light-transmissive plastics material and has transverse apertures. Coloured pins pass through the apertures of adjacent links to form the watchband. The pins are visible through the links.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to multi-linkage watchbands or wristbands for wristwatches. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a watchband made up of links having visible pins.

Multiple-linkage watchbands usually comprise metallic or plastics links held together in articulated fashion by metallic pins concealed from view by the links themselves.

SUMMARY

An alternative watchband link construction comprises visible connecting pins. A watchband comprises an articulated plurality of such links.

A watchband comprises:

-   -   a plurality of links, each link formed of light-transmissive         plastics material and having transverse apertures therethrough;         and     -   a plurality of coloured pins, each passing through aligned said         apertures of adjacent links to form the watchband, wherein the         pins are visible through the links.

Preferably, the links are formed of moulded polycarbonate material.

Preferably, the pins each have a bulbous protrusion near one end to fit tightly within one of said apertures.

Preferably, the pins are formed of moulded polycarbonate material.

Preferably, the pins are reinforced with glass fibre.

Preferably, the pins are of different colour to one another.

Preferably, the links are transparent, translucent or tinted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view of a pair of articulated watchband links and a connecting pin;

FIG. 2 is a schematic detailed partial plan illustration of the detail identified at “II” in FIGS. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan illustration of a watchband made up of a plurality of the links.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The accompanying drawings depict watchband links 10, each of which is typically fabricated from a single piece of moulded plastics material. Polycarbonate (PC) is a suitable material of choice.

Each link is “see-through”, being made of a light-transmissive material. Moreover, the links could be transparent, translucent or tinted.

Each link 10 comprises transverse apertures 13 and 14. The apertures 13 align with an aperture 14 of an adjacent link 10.

Connecting pins 11 are inserted through the aligned apertures 13 and 14 and press-fitted into place. To this end, one end of each pin has a bulbous portion 12 to fit tightly within the apertures 13 at one side of the link.

Each pin 11 is typically fabricated from a plastics material. A suitable material of choice is polycarbonate with a 30% fill of glass fibre reinforcing material. However, other materials are also possible.

The pins 11 would typically be brightly coloured so as to be visible through the links 10. Each pin could be the same colour or multiple individual pins a different colour can be used in a single watchband.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, the invention whilst described with reference to watchbands is equally suited for other wristbands or bracelets. 

1. A watchband comprising: a plurality of links, each link formed of light-transmissive plastics material and having transverse apertures therethrough; and a plurality of coloured pins, each passing through aligned said apertures of adjacent links to form the watchband, wherein the pins are visible through the links.
 2. The watchband of claim 1, wherein the links are formed of moulded polycarbonate material.
 3. The watchband of claim 1, wherein the pins each have a bulbous protrusion near one end to fit tightly within one of said apertures.
 4. The watchband of claim 1, wherein the pins are formed of moulded polycarbonate material.
 5. The watchband of claim 4, wherein the pins are reinforced with glass fibre.
 6. The watchband of claim 1, wherein the pins are of different colour to one another.
 7. The watchband of claim 1, wherein the links are transparent, translucent or tinted. 